


Suck It Up

by buck_is_stuck



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Child Abuse, Depression, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Loss of Parent(s), Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Self-Hatred
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:55:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28098021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buck_is_stuck/pseuds/buck_is_stuck
Summary: After losing his parents at a young age, he is taken into his abusive aunt's household where he is blamed for his uncle's and parents' passing. Not to mention his school life, where it is deemed impossible to gain respect from people that aren't Ned and MJ. Other than his late-night patrols and his only friends, he has nothing. That is, until he is accepted for the Stark Internship.**CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE, PTSD AND ANXIETY TRIGGERS, ABUSE**
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally on Wattpad. I'm updating every saturday!

Ouch. Well, I guess that's what I get for coming home after curfew. It wasn't that bad this time. It would probably only leave some bruises on my ribs. At least those were easy to cover up.

After May had left, beer still in hand, I picked myself off of the dirty wood floor with a slight wince. Thank god it's a Monday tomorrow, I thought sarcastically as I stumbled up the stairs. As I walked into the closet, my stomach growled at me. Shit. The bruises were going to take a little longer to heal because I hadn't eaten a lot recently. I guess May forgot to bring home something since she usually eats at work. It's okay, though, I'm used to it. My body, however, is still complaining about not eating for a week. I think I'll be fine. I mean, Ghandi did it for three weeks, why shouldn't I be able to do it for one?

I turned towards the mirror hanging on the inside of the door and lifted my shirt to asses the damage. I saw old and new bruises, as I suspected, and you could probably feel the bones of my ribs through the shirt. No wonder why no one wanted me. I was just a poor, skinny, ugly, inconsiderate, stupid boy. At least, that's what May and the kids at school say. I've learned to come to terms with it, though. Accept who I am.

I sigh and lay down on my 'bed'. It was just a pillow and blanket on the floor, but I didn't deserve a bed, as May said. I close my eyes and let sleep take me away, only to be welcomed by the screams of my mom.

"Mom! Mom! Where are you? I can get you out!" I yelled into the burning house. I sprinted through the hallways, searching for her, until I heard a whimper from the guest bedroom. "Mom!?" I lunged towards the door, kicking it down as tears rolled down my face.

"Peter?" She lifted her head from under the burning pile of rubble. Her eyes watering from the heat, coughing from the smoke. "Peter!"

"Mom! I'm here! I'll get you out!" I screamed as I picked up a piece of rubble, trying to get her out. I screamed in pain and dropped the scolding hot thing.

"Peter, no! Get out of here! It's okay!"

"No! Mom! I can't leave you!"

"Honey, it's okay, I love y-" The rubble fell and engulfed her.

"Mom! NO!" I shrieked at the top of my lungs as a fireman pulled me out of the building.

I was pulled out of my nightmare with a smack to the head. That was going to leave a mark. I looked up at an enraged Aunt May.

"Shut the fuck up!" she hissed. "Don't you know how tired I am? I have an alarm clock for a reason!"

I glanced at my phone to check the time. 6:00. Shit. She grabbed me and forced me to my feet. "No use in going back to sleep now, eh? Might as well teach you a lesson for screaming at six in the fucking morning."

Pushing me against the hallway wall, she drove her closed fist into my face. She moved on to my stomach, hitting the bruises over and over again, making me double over in pain. She kneed my face, as it was so perfectly positioned, and then just left. Grateful, I stayed there, trying to catch my breath. Suddenly, my spider senses went crazy. Knowing it would only make her more mad if I dodged, I stayed put. I gasped in surprise as I felt shards of glass embed themselves into my shoulder. Still doubled over, I felt tears running down my face. That was definitely not good. She grabbed my throat, forcing my head up.

"You're weak."

On that happy note, she released me from her grasp and walked over to the fridge to get another beer.

Ouch.


	2. It's Deserved

After picking out the shards of glass from my shoulder and neck in the small bathroom, I got dressed, brushed my teeth and made my way to school. That morning encounter costed me some time, but I sprinted and got there five minutes before the bell rang. Ned and I do our handshake and MJ greets me with a 'sup loser' before heading inside. The school day went by as usual; occasionally getting hit by balls of paper (Flash, obviously), didn't eat at lunch because May doesn't send me with money, but we did have a test. It was kinda out of nowhere, though. In science, the teacher said we were talking a pop test, but when I looked at the paper, there was more than just science questions on there. What kind of test is this?

The test was a little hard, but not extremely difficult. Usually, the tests we have are super easy, so I was kinda surprised. After double checking my answers, I looked at the clock to see how much time has passed. It was only thirty minutes. I considered waiting until other people started to turn in their tests, but soon decided to turn it in now. People already thought I was weird, so it didn't matter that much. I walked up to the teachers desk and placed my paper in the corner, smirking when I heard whispers of confusion from behind me. Ned finished not long after that, and we thought nothing more of it.

After another thirty minutes of reading Bruce Banner's books, the bell finally rang. I piled in my stuff from my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. I grunted in pain as the cuts rubbed against the heavy weight of the bag. Ned looked up worriedly.

"Uh, don't worry, it's just a h- heavy backpack." I tried to add a nonchalant chuckle, but it ended up sounding nervous.

Shifting the weight of the back onto my other shoulder, Ned and I headed out, excited for the end of the day. Ned said he had to pick a book up from the library, so I waited by the front door. I was excited for my job at Delmars; I loved working there. That is, until my spidey sense kicked in and I tensed, waiting for a hit. It came down hard. Unsurprisingly, the person that threw the punch was Flash. Of course, just my luck.

Like usual, he shoved me against the lockers and punched me in the gut a couple of times. He kicked me in the kneecap with a deafening snap and I grunted through my teeth. He pushed me down and called his goons to come beat me up. I was in a fetus position on the floor, hands over my head while they kicked every part of my that they could reach. After a while, thank god, they got bored and ran off to do whatever.

Ned and MJ wonder why I don't fight back, especially when I could easily kick them across the room. If I fight back, and they stay off of me, they'll find someone else to do this to, and it would kill me to know that someone else would have to deal with this. So, I just let it happen. I heal super quickly anyways. Well, I'm healing like a normal person now because I haven't eaten anything for a week, but I'm okay.

I pick myself off of the floor to see Ned opening the door, returning from the library. I stand up, and nearly fall over at the pain that shot up my leg. I forgot Flash did that. I waved off Ned's questioning glances and we walked out of school together. Well, limped for me, I guess.

.........

I sigh contentedly as I heat up a hoagie for a young customer. I smile when she reaches over and pets the Mr. Delmar's cat, Murph. It's crazy how that one, tiny little mammal puts a huge grin on her face. She coos softly at him before accepting the sandwich from me.

"Thank you Mr. Peter!" She exclaims gratefully.

My heart practically melts for her. "Of course Amy! Anything for the birthday girl!" I smile widely and give her hair a little russel, which she giggles at. Her mother looks happily at me.

"You're a great kid, Peter." She says fondly.

"Anyone who doesn't give a free hoagie to a little girl on her birthday is a criminal, so..." I joke around with her.

She laughs and waves as she walks away. "By Mr. Peter!" Amy shouts.

"By Amy!" I respond.

God I love this job.

.......

"No! May! I'm sorry I really didn't-" I'm cut off with a slap to the face.

"I don't want to hear your sorry excuses." She hisses. "I texted you five times to come home! What if there was a robber? What if I needed help? Actually, you were useless with your uncle, so I'm glad you didn't come." She adds a punch to the temple.

Uh oh. Now she was thinking about Ben. She'll just get more and more angry as she talks. Nononononononononononono I need to go on patrol tonight. Why did she even want me home in the first place? She leaves suddenly, worrying me, considering the last time she did that shards of glass visited the inside of me. But she goes to the kitchen and opens a drawer.

My eyes widen as she approaches me with a knife. To scared to speak or move, I watch silently as she lifts her arms up to my torso. She drags it sharply along my left breast, leaving a trail of scarlet liquid seep into the shirt. I whimper in pain as she leaves cuts along my abdomen and arms, slowly making her way to my legs. I just watch her. I watch as the cuts she made bleed into my pants and shirt.

"Your a waste of space!" Got it. Try to take up as little space as possible. "You'll never be anything!" Got it. Work as hard as I can all the time. "You don't deserve anything anyone gives you!" Got it. Make sure you've done something to earn everything. "You take too much!" Got it. Don't take anything. "Be grateful I even give you a place to live! No one will ever want you!" Got it. Never stay in someone's presence for too long, I'll just bother them. "You're greedy!" Got it. Never ask for anything. "You're a nuisance to everyone!" Got it. Don't speak. "You poor, skinny, ugly, inconsiderate, stupid boy!" She screamed as she punched me over and over again. "Worthless!" Somehow I ended up on the floor with her looming over me.

I deserve this. May is in pain. She deserves to take it out on something...

Someone.


	3. Broken Glass

My suit definitely did not approve of the cuts, considering how much the jeans and hoodie rubbed against them. I wasn't really surprised with May. She had done it once or twice before, but it was never this extreme. Ignoring the stinging, I swung around the tall buildings of Queens. It wasn't a busy night, which is good for everyone, but I was bored and knew I wouldn't be able to sleep. Not that I wanted to, anyways. I didn't want to see them. All the people I didn't save. I could've distracted the mugger so Dad could get away. I could've reached Mom sooner. I could've jumped in front of Be-

Snapping me out of my thoughts, I heard screaming. Using my enhanced hearing to guide me, I made my way over to the source, which was a bank. Surprise surprise. I find the robbers holding captives at gunpoint while the rest of their team shoved money into the black duffel bag. Typical.

"Sup guys, forgot your PIN number?" I quip, web slinging the two guns to myself with both hands. After putting the safety on and seeing the civilians running away, I swing into one of the men, knocking the other one (who was stuffing the bag) over. I ducked when my spidey sense tingled, seeing a fist coming from behind my right ear. I grabbed it and used the attacker's momentum to fling them over my shoulder and into the other hostage-holder. I webbed them up and waited for the police to arrive, making sure to leave a note.

You shouldn't steal things, it's bad :(  
\- Spider-Man

Smiling at my joke, I swung away from the scene after hearing sirens. I checked the time and internally panicked. This is usually the time when May comes back for round two. I urged my aching body to go faster. I reached my bathroom window and climbed in quietly. Hearing nothing, I changed back into my blood-soaked clothes that I left in there and stalked out. I flinched when I saw May with an empty glass bottle over her head, mid-swing. I brought my arms up defensively, not in the mood for glass in my face. It hit hard, but I'll be fine.

"Don't try to defend yourself, idiot!" She screamed as she bashed the broken bottle into my shoulders and abdomen.

She slammed the bottle on the floor and resorted to using her fists. She may be tiny, but man does it hurt. Her bony knuckles collided with my ribs, which hurt way more than I expected. She hit my ribs again and again, until she heard a pop. I gasped, out of breath, as she gave one final kick to the stomach.

"That'll teach you not to come home late." She said, satisfied.

I just stayed there, watching her walk away. I limped my way up the stairs, wincing from the pain on my still bad leg and my ribs. I reached the bathroom and turned on the shower, cold, obviously. I let out an involuntary whimper as the soap and cold water seethed over my fresh cuts, which had reopened from the friction of the suit. After finishing a painful shower, I brushed my teeth, dried off, and changed into other old clothes.

I lowered myself onto the floor, falling asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

"No! I don't have anything else!" Dad pleaded to the man.

"I know. So you're useless now." The person said as he cocked his gun.

Dad gasped in shock and backed away, hands up. I looked from Dad to the man, confused.

"Why are you pointing that at Dad?" I asked.

"Oh don't worry, child. You'll see soon enough." The man responded

I looked at him, still confused, but my eyes widened as the thing fired, making Dad fall to the ground. I screamed and ran over to him.

"Dad? Dad!? Dad!" I yelled and yelled but he didn't respond. I looked up to see the man running away. I focused my attention on Dad, trying to get him to come back from wherever he was. But nothing happened. I didn't save him.

My eyes shot open as I heard the sounds of footsteps, adrenaline coursing through me, shirt clinging to my sweat-covered body.

"Not again..." I whimpered. But knowing my luck, it was inevitable.

The door opened with a loud thud, revealing May. "Can you ever shut the fuck up?! You're so loud!"

I don't think I can do this. The bruises were layering and scars were still fresh. I felt like I was going to pass out 24/7. "Please... please... I can't-" I was interrupted with a punch to my jaw.

"You can't what? Save your dad? Save your mom? Save Ben?!" She screamed. God damnit. It would only get worse if she was thinking about Ben.

I was forced out of bed with a strong grip that lead my to the oh-so familiar hallway, glass still littering the floor. Without warning, she pushed me over into the shower of glass. I yelped in pain as I felt the shards go through my thin clothes.

"Pathetic." And with that, she punched the back of my head, forcing my face into the glass. Ouch.

This is too much. But May needs it. I sigh, slowly moving myself to my feet. God, this is going to take forever to get out. Shaking, I "walked" to the bathroom and brought out the tweezers once again. I assumed it was around 6:00 because the sun had just started to peek. Hurriedly, I pulled out the pieces, blood trickling out of each one. Hoping I didn't miss any, I pulled clean clothes on, making sure to wear long sleeves to cover my bruised and bloodied forearms when I tried to protect myself.

I sigh and walk to school again. It takes me a while, considering that I'm half-limping, but I get there in the nick of time. Ned and MJ were there as always, same greetings as the day before.

......

During science, the teacher revealed the reason behind the test. A qualification quiz for a Stark Internship?! Instantly, I felt less confident in my score. Yeah, I thought they were all right, and I double checked them, but hearing that makes me question it.

"I will now announce the three people with the highest scores! Remember, the highest one will get the internship!" He exclaimed excitedly. "At number three, with a ninety four percent, we have Betty Brant!" A round of applause was directed to a blonde near the front. "At number two, with a ninety six percent, we have Cindy Moon!" A lesser applause was heard from the black-haired girl in the back. "And finally, at number one, with a whopping hundred percent, the person who is chosen for assisting Stark Industries...." He paused and did a double take at the card he was reading off of. "Peter Parker...?" It came out as more of a question rather than a statement. The only people clapping were Ned and MJ. Welp, thanks guys.

But, did I hear that correctly? I was an intern for Mr. Stark's company?! OMG! Inside, I was freaking out and super excited. But, on the outside, I probably looked uncomfortable. People just stared in shock, while Ned and MJ just looked proud, a smug look on MJ's otherwise unamused face.

"Uh, congratulations, Peter. You start tomorrow at 4:30." The teacher said awkwardly. I was about to give some awkward nod when the bell rang. Saved by the bell I guess! Relieved, I rushed out of there with Ned and MJ hot on my trail. As soon as we got out of the classroom, Ned busted into excited squeals and praises, while MJ just smiled proudly. Huh. That's a first.

"Dude! Youregoingtomeettonystarkandifyoumeethimthenmaybeyoucanmeettherestoftheavengersandthenyoullgettojointheavengersbecauseofspidermanandthenyoucanbesuperrichandinvitemeandmjoversowecanfangirlovereverything."

"I'm sorry, was that English?" I chuckled out, slightly winching at my cracked rib. Thank god no one seemed to notice.

"I'm just excited! You deserve this after everything you've been through and everything you've worked towards." He praised shamelessly.

"You don't deserve anything anyone gives to you!" She screams as she drags the blade across my abdomen.

May's words echo in my head, memories flooding back. Like a broken dam, everything comes crashing down on me. Suddenly I can't breathe, I'm sweating, and my heart is beating a mile a minute. I'm shaking uncontrollably as I recall what happened the previous night. I feel every cut over and over again.

I'm shaken out of my state by a worried looking Ned and MJ, a crowd forming behind them. Attention is definitely not the thing I need right now.

"Peter, are you okay?!" Ned asks.

Before I could answer, I'm cut short with an all to familiar voice. "Aww look! Poor Penis Parker is having flashbacks!" It wasnt funny, but for some reason people are laughing.

"Shut up, jerk." MJ snaps.

"Yeah, leave us alone." Ned agrees.

"Yeah sure, okay." Flash mocks a look of defeat before charging towards me, who's still on the floor, leaning against the lockers.

I feel all of his weight crash into me like a bullet train, hearing my ribs crack once more. He just laughs and motions his clique to follow him out of the door. Seeing the 'fight' is over, If that's what you call a fight, the rest of the crowd disperses, leaving us to be stepped on and over by the passerby. I grunt in pain as I try to stand up. Waving away a hand from Ned, I push myself onto my shaking legs, hands out for balance. I take a deep breath, Instantly regretting it as pain erupts from my rib cage, which is most definitely visible through my shirt. I shrug off the concerned comments from my friends as I make my way to work.

......

As I walk into the deli, I'm greeted with the smile of Mr. Delmar, the purrs of Murph, and the cheery wave of Amy and her mother as they hunch over her homework. I return my boss's smile and my favorite customer's wave as I walk to their table. I got here early at 2:30, so I wanted to ask her about her birthday.

"So...." I begin. She looks up at me. "How was your birthday yesterday?!" I question excitedly. Her face lights up, and it warms my heart.

"It was so incredible!!" She responds with excitement.

"Really?! Tell me all about it!" I glance at her mother for permission. She smiles and nods, so I pull up a chair near her and rest my chin on my hand, giving her my full attention.

"So, my mommy let me stay up late watching movies and eating candy the night before," I widen my eyes and open my mouth, nonverbally saying, 'really?!' She giggles and nods. "So I got to sleep in 'till noon. On a school day!" She cackles evilly.

"No way!"

"Yes way! So then she brought me breakfast in bed, and she made my favorite; bacon and pancakes! After that, we went to the zoo where I learned about the monkeys! And then, we went to get ice cream and the workers put a candle in mine! And then and then and theeennnn, we went to that fair right outside of town and I got to ride a Ferris wheel! It was so cool! After that, we got to see you, Mr. Peter! I ate on the way to the ice cream place."

"Waitwaitwaitwait. Two ice creams in one day!?" I put my hand over my heart and gasped.

She laughed and nodded vigorously. "And, at the end of the day, we watched movies and ate popcorn until we fell asleep! Best. Birthday. Ever!!!" She exclaimed.

"Amy that sounds awesome!" I squeal and she reaches her arms out for a hug. I pick her up and embrace her, swinging from side to side. I start to tickle her and she giggles.

"Hey Peter! Can you help us with the supply van back here?" I hear Mr. Delmar say.

"Of course Mr. Delmar! Be right there!"

I carefully place Amy down parallel from her mom, who's smiling from ear to ear. "Thank you, Peter."

"Of course ma'am!" I smile and wave as I walk backwards, running into the counter. Amy laughs, so I do as well, trying to play off the immense pain that caused me.

......

I slowly walk up to the front door, knowing that whatever is about to come isn't going to be pretty. Carefully, I peek inside to find May taking a swig of beer, nearly passed out on the couch. I wasn't late this time, which is new, so I don't know why I'm scared.

"Took you long enough." I wince as I hear May acknowledge me.

"I-I'm sorry, May." Wait. What am I apologizing for? Whatever, that doesn't matter. I probably did something wrong.

She turned around with her eyes narrowed.

"I uh, got the Stark Internship."

She scoffs. "Yeah, sure hon."

"Uh, M-May I'm serious. I start tomorrow and it ends at 7:30. I just wanted to let you know so that you won't be mad when I come home around 8:00."

I back up as she starts to get close, forearms covering my head as I close my eyes and wait for the impact. Unsurprisingly, her fist meets them. "Liar!"

"N-no May, I swear." I choke out as she claws at my arms.

She stops and I tuck my head into the crook of my elbow, biceps covering my face and hands covering the back of my head.

"N-no May! They sent an email! I can show y-" Of course she didn't let me finish. Why would she? My opinion isn't valued, therefore, should never be spoken. Her foot meets the side of my ribs, the most broken side, of course.

"Shut up." She walks away. Again.

I lay on the floor, pathetic and stomach growling. I need rest. But crime doesn't rest. So, I change into my homemade suit and book it out of the bathroom window. Thank god, all there was was a thief with a purse. I webbed them up and gave the person back their bag, but not before the criminal stabbed me in the leg. Welp. I swing back into the 'home' and clean myself up with acetone and a shower, laying down to rest.

I shove a towel in my mouth, hoping that it'll dampen the screams inevitable to come.

"No! My wife is at work. Her jewelry is in the master bedroom on top of the dresser!" Uncle Ben screamed at the intruder.

"Alright, let's go boys." The man nodded towards Ben's bedroom. "Pick up anything else that's valuable, as well." The men nodded in response.

My eyes go wide at the tool that took Dad away from me three years ago. It was pointed at Ben. I froze, stomach to the ground as the men told us to do. But Ben couldn't. An arm was wrapped around his neck, hand clenching his jaw from behind.

"One wrong move and ya dead."

Ben elbowed the enemy in the side, but he didn't move. The man grabbed onto Ben's jaw and twisted it. All I heard was a snap and Ben fell to the floor. Confused, I looked at the man. He didn't look back, he was ushering the other men out of the house, saying, "Fuck, I just killed a ten year olds parent, oh my god."

I shot up from the floor, sweat beading my forehead. Given the sound of no footsteps, the rag had worked, thank god. I checked the time to see it was 5:00 in the morning. I actually was excited. Maybe I can borrow a Bruce Banner book from the library! I slipped on my clothes as I washed my face and brushed my teeth. After gingerly wrapping my stab wound with cut-up strips of shirt, I headed into the library a couple of blocks over and for once, I was happy. I walked into the library, greeted by silence and the librarian, Mr. Stan. He smiled at me. "Got a book in mind?" He asked politely.

"Yeah, actually. Do you have any of Bruce Banner's book on nuclear physics?"

He nodded and took me to the section filled with science books. I haven't been here in a long time, so he probably released a book or two.

Mr. Stan happily handed me the book I was looking for, wrote my name and number on a list, and bid me a good day. If only he knew.

......

I read the book at the front gates on a bench, waiting for Ned and MJ. It was actually quite peaceful, reading about my favorite scientists and his studies. Ned and MJ showed up together and were very surprised when they saw me there first.

"Whoa dude what happened to your eye and your jaw?" Ned questioned worriedly. I panicked, not wanting to inflict others with my own problems.

"Oh! This? It's nothing, just Flash, you know." Ned nodded hesitantly while MJ attained an unreadable expression.

The day actually went by pretty fast. That is, until the end of school when I felt a smack to the back of the head after walking out of my last class. I turned around annoyedly to see- surprise surprise- Flash.

"Sup Penis Parker!" He yelled in my face as he shoved me against the lockers. "I know you cheated your way in." He said through clenched teeth. "I deserve that, Parker!" He punched the already bruised eye. "You deserve nothing, you piece of garbage!" He kneed me in the stomach cracking my ribs, again. Damn, when are they gonna get a break? Well, I guess I already broke them like three times over the past few days. I was about to laugh at my silent joke, but was stopped with a hard punch to the gut. Yup, my ribs were definitely broken. "You're nothing." He hissed. His goons followed him out the door as I see Ned and MJ come out of the science classroom.

They rushed by my side and put one arm over both their shoulders. "Thanks, guys." I said gratefully.

"Of course Peter, we're here for you." MJ said.

......

I made my way to work at 2:35. Later than usual since I was limping. Before I came in the door, I made eye contact with Amy's mother. Her eyes filled with concern and question, so I just shook my head and tried to non-verbally reassure her that it isn't of her concern. She narrowed her eyes but turned around to face a concentrated Amy

I limped my way to the sandwich making station and greeted Murphy with a pet. I just took and made orders to pass the time until the Stark Internship.


	4. Getting Settled In

I looked up at the tower, terrified. I felt seriously under dressed. Everyone around me was wearing a back suit, dress, or anything formal. I pretty sure one of my cuts reopened as well, so that's great. I shrug on my sweatshirt to cover any bloodstains and I walk through the revolving door. I try not to limp, but between the stab wound, it being broken two days ago, and my lack of super healing, it's making it kinda hard.

"Hello there! Are you the new intern, Peter Parker?" A nice woman at the front desk greets me.

"U-uh" I debated whether or not I should speak. She'll probably think I'm annoying, too.

"Hello?"

"Oh! Uh, s-sorry, I just-" I sigh at my inability to speak English. "Yes, I'm Peter Parker from Midtown High."

She looks taken aback. "Oh! I thought we were recruiting from a university." She mumbles quietly. "Anyways, I'm Lilian Grazer." She hands me a red badge. "There's your intern badge. Ms Jane Foster will show you to your office." She says with a smile.

"Okay! Thank you, Mrs. Grazer!" I said excitedly.

"Excuse me, are you Peter Parker?"

I turn to see a brunette with dark eyeliner.

"I- uh- yes!" I squeak out. God, I'm probably annoying her, too. "Are you Ms. Foster?"

She nods with a smile and gestures for her to follow me into the elevator. "Twelfth floor." She says. I'm confused for a moment, but then realize it's probably a voice activated thing. The doors slide open to reveal a wide, short hallway with two glass labs on wither side of the opening where you can see scientists working. The short hallway ends and we go the the left, ignoring the right and the huge, collective workstation at the end of the room.

"Sorry, kiddo. You're not allowed to work in the labs. Too young."

My face drops, but soon lightens up when I see my office. I have a view of the city in a huge glass wall, a computer, a desk, some cabinets, some modern decorations and a rollie chair! Ms. Foster notices an chuckles.

"Your job is to deliver coffee, send orders to import needed supplies, and write the summaries for the weapons on display."

I nod. "Okay. Am I allowed to do homework if I have free time?"

"Yes, of course."

"Okay! Thank you Ms. Foster!"

She chuckles as she makes her way out the door. She smile and waves warmly and I do the same. I sigh contentedly and drop my backpack on the floor looking around. I plop down in my rollie chair and spun around until I heard a notification on my phone.

Unknown  
6 black coffees from Ally's. 89th floor.

Peter Parker  
Oh! Okay!

Unknown  
You do not need to respond until the task is done.

I was about to respond with a 'my bad' or 'sorry' but decided against it. I walked to the stairs since I didn't feel like having any awkward silences in the elevator. I reached the front desk on the first floor and smiled at Ms. Grazer.

"Do you need help with anything?" She asked politely.

"Uh, yeah. Do you know where Amy's is? I'm supposed to get coffee from there." I responded.

"Yes! Go right until that intersection, then go left and it's the third one from the corner."

"Oh! I almost forgot." She handed me a black card. "Here's your card you use. It all goes to the company."

I smiled. "Alright, thank you Mrs. Grazer!" I thanked her as I walked away, determined to not mess up. I followed her directions and it lead me to a tiny coffee shop. Huh. I would've expected something huge or fancy. I'm not complaining, though. I take a deep breath, trying to prepare myself for way too much social interaction, and wince when my ribs protest. Ignoring the pain, I push through the doors and force a smile. The barista smiles back at me and gestures to the counter.

"Hello, welcome to Amy's! I'm Chelsey, what can I do for ya?" She greeted.

"U-uh h-hi." She giggled at my stuttering. "C-can I please g-get six r-regular black c-coffees to go?" I managed, handing her the black card.

She swiped and returned the card. "Yes, of course. Under what name?" She hovered a sharpie over a cup.

"U-uh P-Peter." I smiled awkwardly.

"Okie dokie, your order will be on the counter on your left!" She pointed to her right.

I nodded a thanks and made my way to where she pointed. I stood against the wall with my hands in my pockets, trying to not disturb anyone. Not long after, a worker yelled, "Six black coffees for Peter Parker?" Dang, that was fast.

"Y-yes, sir. That's me." I grabbed two cup holder trays and started putting them in with the worker helping me. Four cups went on the bottom tray, and the top tray, stacked on the coffee below, held two cups diagonal opposite to each other. Gravity was not going to ruin my day today. I thanked the worker and set back out into the world.

Since I had the coffees, I was kinda forced to use the elevator. Thankfully, I don't know how, but there wasn't anyone in there. I stepped into the futuristic looking box. "Uh, floor 89?" I said to the ceiling.

An automated voice replied, "It looks like you are not authorized on that level."

I panicked. Well, what now? "I, uh, was assigned to deliver coffee there." I gesture to the coffee with my head. "I also have a text. Don't know who sent it, but I know it was someone from the office." I pulled out my phone and showed it to the ceiling.

"Okay, Peter Parker. You can call me Friday." The elevator started going up (on a Tuesday). After a moment, it spoke again, "Sir, you appear to have bruises on your forearms and abdomen, five broken ribs, a black eye, a bruised jaw, severe cuts on the front of your body, glass shards in your forehead, forearms, thighs and abdomen, a broken leg, and a stab wound on the same one. It also appears that you are on the brink of starvation. Would you like me to send medical help?"

"NO! I mean- no, thank you."

"Would you like me to send Mr. Stark?"

"What? Uh, no, definitely not." That would be bad.

"Sir, you are in critical condition, I am required to get help if you do not." The AI pressed.

"I will go the the hospital after this!" I lie. Hah. Like I could afford that. She seemed to accept my answer, because the doors opened to reveal a lab. Not just any lab, though. Blue holograms filled the room, desks of blueprints and tools scattered the place. I was in awe at the sight of it. I assumed that I would just place the trays down on the desk, seeing as there seemed to be no one there. As I was placing them down, I looked at the equations on the board. I noticed that one was wrong, but didn't want to touch anything. "Uh, Mrs. Friday? Can you please tell the owner of the lab that this equation is wrong when they get back?" I pointed to an equation on the board,

"Of course, sir." She responded.

"You can call me Peter."

"Of course Peter."

I smiled and thanked the AI, "Thanks, Mrs. Friday!" I walked back into the elevator. This was going to be a good day.


	5. Coffee

Tony's POV

I walk out of the conference room, annoyed. I called in Bruce, Natasha, Clint, Steve, and Bucky to the common room so we could talk over our next mission.

"Fri, let me get some coffee for the team." I ordered.

"On it, boss."

I stepped out of the elevator and into the large room to find some of earth's mightiest heroes playing Smash. I rolled my eyes at the sight of Bucky rage quitting and announced my presence.

"Whoa, Buckaroo, watch the glass." I quipped. He rolled his eyes in response and sulked to the kitchen. "Bye the way, guys, coffee's on the way."

"Ugh yes. I feel dead." Clint said from his laying down position on the floor.

"You look dead." Natasha teased, earning a fake offense from him.

I walked over and watched a couple of rounds. Natasha was by far the best, while Bucky was the second best. For some reason, no one could beat her.

"Hey, Fri? How's that coffee doing?" I asked, wondering why it took so long.

"It is in the lab, sir. Floor 89."

Floor 89? The common rooms were on floor 99. "Can you get the intern to deliver it to us, please?" I mean, what was I paying them for? Well, I wasn't, but you know what I mean.

"He's on his way."

.......

Peter's POV

"Peter, the coffee was intended to be delivered to floor 99, not floor 89." Friday said.

I jumped up in my seat and panicked. "Shoot!" Dammit. May was right, I can't do anything. Can't even deliver coffee. I could've sworn the person texted me floor 89! Whatever. I sprinted to the elevator, limping really hard. People probably stared, but I cared more about my internship.

"Floor 89 please!" I quickly requested.

The elevator ascended, way slower than I thought it would, and I limped to the trays hurriedly. I grabbed them and wobbled my way back into the elevator, where Friday was already sending me up to floor 99. My heart was racing really fast, panic ridden throughout my body. Oh no. What if they hurt me? I messed up, so they probably would. Before I had time to process, the doors retracted into the sides and I froze.

.....

Tony's POV

I looked over to where I heard the elevator ding. When the doors opened, a young boy stood, but he didn't move. Heck, I would probably freeze if I saw some of the Avengers acting like teenagers.

"Hey kid. You here for the coffee?" I asked.

He just stood there, eyes wide. After a moment, I coughed, and he started walking his way towards us. Well, actually, he was sort of limping, and his legs were shaking. Probably just excited.

"U-um, h-h-hello Mr. S-Stark sir." He spoke with a shaky voice. "Y-yes, I am. I-I'm so sorry I thought I read it correctly but I guess not and I delivered it to the labs but I was meant to deliver it to floor 99 instead of floor 89 I'm so sorr-"

I walked over to the kid and reached a hand out so I could put it on his shoulder. He squeezed his eyes shut and tensed. When it landed on him, he jumped. He looked up confused. What the hell was that about?

Peter's POV

He put a hand up so I prepared for the hit. He got my shoulder- wait. Why didn't it hurt? I looked up, scared and confused.

"Kid, it's okay. Now let me take that from you." He gestured to the trays.

"O-oh of c-course sir." I replied, scared to say no.

He lifted the trays from my arms and placed them down on the coffee table.

"Again, I-I'm so s-sorry." I stuttered. "I- uh, goodbye!" He looked like he was about to say something, but I rushed out of there. My limp was definitely evident. Running did not make it better, and I grunted in pain.

"Uh, kid, you okay?" Mr. Stark asked. God dammit. I was a nuisance, just as May had told me. I didn't deserve to be cared about.

"Yes! I'm s-sorry for wasting y-your time M-Mr. Stark." I limped into the elevator and closed the doors before he had a chance to respond. As soon as I got in, I slid down the back wall onto my butt and hugged my legs, breathing heavily. All I could see was May hitting me, dragging the knife across my skin, and all I could hear was her screaming at me. Her screams morphed into those of my mom, dad, and uncle.

You don't deserve their hospitality!

You're useless!

He should've beaten you for being so careless!

May's screams engulfed my aching head as I felt hot tears soak into the fabric of my jeans.

"You seem to be in distress. Should I alert Mr. Stark?" Friday's voice echoed in the elevator.

"N-no, thank you." I breathed out.

Tony's POV

I watched as he limped into the elevator, grunting in pain. "Uh, kid, you okay?" I asked, concerned.

"Yes! I'm s-sorry for wasting y-your time M-Mr. Stark." He replied shakily.

Why was he acting so weird? Why was he limping? Before I could say anything, the elevator doors closed.

I turned to the team, confused as to what just happened. They weren't paying attention to me. Hell, I'm pretty sure they never took their eyes off the screen. Oh well. I separated the trays on the kitchen counter, Bucky diving over to steal one before anyone else.

I laughed at his desperation. "Coffee's here!" I yelled to get everyone's attention.

Clint immediately jumped up and sprinted to the counter, taking a seat on one of the barstools as he snagged a cup. Steve got up and strolled calmly to the kitchen, reading his book along the way like a civilized person. The same could not be said for Natasha, who hurdled over the super soldier and clutched the coffee close to her chest, feigning relief. Steve looked up, confused as to what just jumped over him. His eyes landed on Natasha wearing her signature smirk, and he laughed.

"Nat! Do I look like a hurdle to you?" He joked.

"Same value."

Steve pressed his hand to his heart and gasped.

"And here I thought it was women being treated like objects." Bruce said from behind Steve.

Natasha cackled and Steve shook his head at the ground. I, appalled, said, "Wait a minute. Did I just hear Brucie Bear make a funny non science-related joke?!"

Bucky interjected, "Stevie didn't like it, considering he broke most of his bones opposing that whole idea." He nudged Steve, who was now smiling.

I laughed at the team, happy to be apart of it.

FRIDAY's POV

Peter told me to not get medical help or alert Boss, but I'm wondering if I should. When I was scanning him this morning, he had a cut on his back near his shoulder that was bleeding a lot. I assume it was reopened due to high movements. The boy was seriously injured, but I have no idea how he could've gotten it. Maybe he was a a party and he jumped through a window? No, the cuts on his body were long and all horizontal. What I was most concerned about, however, was the stab wound. It looked to be clean and wrapped, but it would need stitched to heal properly. Not to mention he was starving.

After what I recognized as a panic attack in the elevator, he returned to his office. I couldn't help but feel bad. And I'm an AI, so that's kinda hard to do. I observed his interaction with Boss, and he seemed scared. I mean, most people are intimidated by him, but he seemed scared. He didn't have a reason to be, but his body language indicated it. He fidgeted with the hem of his sweatshirt, his muscles were tense, his eyebrows were slightly upturned, his eyes were wide, and his weight was on the balls of his foot, ready to run. I hope he's okay.

Peter's POV

My breathing slowed down, and I tried to compose myself before going back to my office. I stood up one-leggedly and straightened out my sweatshirt and jeans. I made it just in time as Friday opened the doors. With my head down, I rushed into my office, banging my hand against my head. God, I made a terrible first impression. When Ms Foster described my job, I thought I was delivering coffee to lower-class workers, not the FREAKING AVENGERS.

I plop down on the rollie chair and rest my head on the desk. I should probably start writing the summaries for the weapons. Sighing, I opened a window on the computer and began the strenuous task of sitting on my butt for two hours.

By the time I finished, it was only 5, so I decided on homework. Since there wasn't any supplies to order, I figured I'd be okay. The homework was easy, considering I knew everything that was taught. I finished quickly, so I ended up just reading. I slowly became engrossed in my new book, so I wasn't expecting to be interrupted.

My phone notification went off super loud and I jumped, nearly falling out of my chair. Regaining my composure, I opened my phone.

Unknown  
6 hoagies from Delmar's. 99th floor.

Uh oh. I don't know if I should be excited about seeing Mr. Delmar, or terrified of seeing Mr. Stark and the others. Considering last time I had a panic attack, I imagine this interaction wouldn't be much better. Internally freaking out, I grabbed my black card and headed off.


	6. Promotion

"Hey Mr. Delmar!" I greeted my boss as I opened the doors. He looked up from stocking chips and smiled when he saw me.

"Hey, Peter! Miss me so much, you just had to come back, eh?" He jokes with a laugh.

I smile as I look down, shaking my head. I really did miss him; the shop. I had to cut my hours short to handle the internship, so I couldn't spend as much time here as I wanted to.

"I'm actually delivering some hoagies as part of my internship!" I left out the fact that they were for the Avengers (some of them, at least) so he wouldn't freak out.

He took my order and made conversation, "That's great, kid. But I bet with your smarts, you'll be makin' Iron Man's gauntlets in no time!" He assured.

"Well, I'm not really allowed to be in the labs, so that's a slim chance." I said, salty. He turned around with a confused look on his face.

"Peter, you have mentally and correctly calculated prices in this place since you were seven. I know you have straight A pluses, you need a passing grade to work here. I also know that there was a test to see if any students qualified to have the internship, because most of the students who failed came here for a pity party. And, according to Mrs. Grazer (they're friends and Peter knows that), no one has ever gotten one hundred percent. If I'm not hearing incorrectly, you did just that. So why in the hell are you stuck delivering food when you could literally help save the world?!"

Some people stared, while I just stood there, unknowing of what to do. I shrugged awkwardly and he sighed, resuming his work. Not long after, Mr. Delmar bagged the food and swiped the black card. I gave Murph one last pet and thanked my boss.

"See you tomorrow, Mr. Delmar!"

......

Stepping into the elevator, I try to swallow the lump of nervousness and anxiety in my throat. Instead, it seemed to travel to my stomach and erupt throughout my body.

"Peter, it seems you are hyperventilating. Would you like me to get help?" Friday asked.

"N-no thanks, Fri." I breathed out, one hand on my heart as if to calm it. She didn't respond, so I assumed she just let it be. Thankfully, after doing the breathing exercises I thought myself, I was able to tame my shaking body. As the elevator ascended, my thought train traveled into the dark depths of my busy mind. Is there a word that hasn't been said in all of the history of the universe? What would happen if we ran out of natural resources; could we figure out a way to sustain life completely artificially? What would the fully evolved mammal look like? If there was a collapsing neutron star inside of an Einstein-Rosen Bridge, could it possibly create a gateway into different worlds? I mean, it would most likely tear through the atoms of a normal airplane, considering the velocity it would need to be traveling at and the amount of pr-

*Ding*

I pulled myself out of my brain and looked up to see the two doors open.

......

Tony's POV

Hearing the loud ding of the elevator, I tuned my head and saw the timid boy from earlier.

"Hey kid." I called, slowly sitting up from the couch, seeing as everyone had either fallen asleep or went on their phones. I walked over to him, stifling a chuckle when I heard his nervous stuttering.

"U-uh h-hey, um, Mr. S-Stark sir." He squeaks out, holding out a bag of food. I accept it and try to smile in a way that doesn't make him any more nervous than he already is.

"Thanks. Hey, what's your name?" I asked, feeling bad for not knowing.

"Peter Parker, s-sir."

Wait. No, it can't be. A child? The delivery boy? "Say, aren't you the kid who got a hundred percent on the qualification test?" I questioned, wanting to confirm the familiar name.

"Um -I -uh," he sighs, "Y-yes, Mr. Stark."

I looked at him confusedly. "Do you do anything besides deliver food and coffee?"

He looks down. "W-well, I -uh also write summaries for um, the weapons on display, and order s-some supplies for t-the -uh lab workers." The sleeves of his shirt are frayed at the bottom from him tugging on them.

"Really? Because based on that test, your IQ is the same as mine Bruce Banner's." I stated matter-of-factly. He didn't say anything, just kept looking down, shifting his weight from foot to foot and destroying his sleeves. "Hey, why don't you come work with me in my lab? I read through your reports on Bruce's studies as well and might I say, very impressive."

He finally looked up at me with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. "I -uh, um-"

I cut him off. "Yup! You start tomorrow, same time."

......

Peter's POV

I must be dreaming. No, that doesn't make sense. I only have nightmares. I try and speak but it all comes out as useless stuttering. He cuts me off before I could embarrass myself any longer.

"Yup! You start tomorrow, same time." He smiles. "Now go waste your incredible smarts for the rest of the day." He says sarcastically and nudges me toward the elevator.

"T-thank you s-so much, M-Mr. Stark!" I exclaim as the doors close once again. He smiles and nods.

.......

I snuck into my window and changed into my suit. I assumed May wasn't home since I usually could hear her heartbeat. Thankful, I slid back out the window, excited for patrol. After climbing onto the roof, I sat down, legs hanging over the edge, and waited for my opportunity to help. Seeing as it wasn't coming by itself, I jumped and shot a web to a nearby skyscraper. I used my momentum to flip over to the other side and see a man holding a woman at gunpoint, a purse in his hand.

Standing on a roof, I joked, "You know it's not very nice to point guns at people, right?" He payed attention to me, most likely forgetting about the lady. Taking advantage of his distraction, I got a hold of his gun with my web and pulled it diagonally, hitting him in the temple. When it got back to me, I turned the safety on and webbed it to the wall so he couldn't get it. I hopped down, landing on his shoulders, and then pushed off, making him lose his balance. While he's stumbling backwards, I yanked the purse out of his hand and tossed it to the lady, who hand her phone to her ear. She caught it and I motioned first her to get to safety. When she did, I turned back toward the criminal and webbed him to the wall next to his gun. After I heard the police sirens, I swung to the rooftops, taking a temporary rest while I asses my surroundings.

After what seemed like minutes, I had managed to stop a bunch of petty crimes, a robbery, and another mugging. Satisfied, I checked my phone to see that it was 1:00.

1:00.

Fuck.


	7. A Car Ride With Tony Stark

I lie awake staring up at the closet ceiling, rag between my teeth to dampen the screams of terror inevitable to come. I feel tears wetting my skin as I relive every insult, kick, punch, and scream delivered to me.

I want out.

So bad.

But I can't.

........

Eventually I must have sobbed myself to sleep, because I woke up with a pulsing headache. I was surprised to find I had no nightmares, though I guess I was too preoccupied with Aunt May. I shuddered, only remembering now that she had taken the blanket and pillow away. Shakily, I slowly forced my body into a standing position, checking the time. It was only 5:00 and I couldn't shower the night before, so I limped onto the cold tile of the bathroom, not excited for the ice water on my injuries. I shrug off my bloodied clothes and turned the nob of the shower. As I let my tense shoulders relax under the suds of the soap and water, I tried to avoid my memories of the hours before. This time, she had used some sort of blunt object, but I couldn't tell you what. I could barely see anything through my tears and the cigarette smoke.

Shivering, I gingerly stepped out into the unwelcoming atmosphere and into a towel. I brushed my teeth and hair, then changed. My thin jacket was going to do jack shit considering how thin it is, and the holes dotting the fabric definitely didn't help. At least I have the internship today. I'll finally get to work with Mr. Stark!

Accompanied by my newfound optimism, I snatched my bag and walked out the front door. I suppose 'walk' isn't the best way to describe it; it looked more like a Walker. Honestly, those zombies were probably more elegant than me. I chuckle at the comparison as I 'walked' onto the campus.

"Sup loser."

"Hey Peter!" Ned turned to walk with me, but did a double take. "Hey, man. Are you okay? You're walking weird."

"Um, it's just patrolling. I'm kinda sore." I lie through my teeth, surprised at how genuine it sounded. I mean, technically I was sore, it just wasn't all from patrolling.

We walk side by side into the doors. "Huh, ok. Hey! How was the internship?!" He fanboys.

I smile at his giddiness. "Well, I was assigned to deliver coffee and food and write summaries for shit, but now I'm helping Mr. Stark in his lab!"

Ned looks like he's about to faint, while MJ has an amused look on her face. "Nice job man." She gives me a fist bump. Ned is still mumbling incoherently when we reach the door to our first class.

I feel exhausted. My super healing is basically non-existent since I haven't eaten for like a week and a half. My body is shaking, and I can only assume it's from overuse. Throughout the day, I allow my body to go on autopilot so that I could try and make sense of the thoughts crowding my mind. It's not until the end of science class that I'm rudely pulled from my dream-like state with a push from behind.

"Not now, Flash. Please." I say tiredly, not even bothering to look back as I stumble my way towards my locker.

"You gonna beg, Penis?" He teases. Suddenly, I'm slammed up against the wall, Flash's hands pushed against my shoulders. "How's that Stark Internship treating you?" He says lowly, head inches away from my face. I can smell his breath due to my heightened sense of smell. Gross. Refusing to let go of my dignity, I stay silent. That, apparently, was the wrong answer for him. I let out a yelp of pain when a fist meets my face. He proceeded to- well, the usual. Beat me up for however long, and then leave like nothing happened. And of course, today happened to be the one day that MJ and Ned didn't pass by me. We don't have last period together, but they usually stop by the library, which is where I am.

"Pathetic." I say to myself, quoting May. I wince as I raise myself to my feet, repeating what she said the night before under my breath. I pull my hoodie over my hair and bowed my head in attempt to hide my swelling face. "Stupid, worthless, weak, selfish, poor, purposeless-"

"Kid?"

I jump, not realizing I had almost walked into a car. Looking up, I see a man with blackish, grayish hair and goatee. "Oh! I'm so sorry I didn't see you and I was distracted I should've paid attention again I'm so sorry I just-"

"Kid, it's fine. Are you Peter Parker?" The man interrupted.

"I -uh, yes, why?" I asked, confused.

"Get in." He said in a monotonous voice.

I stuttered, hesitant to just jump in a strangers's -very expensive looking- car.

"Y'know, Hap, that sounded really sketchy." A voice came from the back of the car.

I laughed in agreement. My laughter was soon cut off by a familiar-looking billionaire stepping onto the ground before him.

My hoodie falls off as I raise my head, no longer caring about the bruise that was undoubtably noticeable. Before I could force out a greeting, he spoke.

"Hey kid."

........

Tony's POV

After seeing Peter leave, I decide I should probably finish some upgrades to the newest suit.

"Alright, you guys can serve yourselves, I'm gonna go work in the lab." I said with a wave of a peace sign. I got a bunch of mumbles from the team, so I assumed they had heard me. I greedily snatched the hoagie and munched on it, smiling proudly at my enjoyment for cheaper things. I stepped into the elevator sleepily after not having slept the night before. I feel it descend for a short couple of seconds and open with a ding. As soon as I stepped out, I hear Friday's voice fill the room.

"Sir, Mr. Peter Parker asked me to inform you of an incorrect equation on the whiteboard. He has written the correct answer on the paper in the corner of your desk."

I furrow my eyebrows in confusion. There's no way that a high school kid is correcting me, Tony Stark, a genius. No way. Disbelieving and annoyed, I walk over to my desk and pick up the paper, comparing his work with my own.

Holy shit.


	8. Job At Delmar's

Tony's POV

I'm trying to wrap the events of yesterday when I was interrupted by a familiar grumpy cat.

"This is the school." Happy informs me.

I hum as I rake through the crowd with my eyes. None of the kids look like Peter, but I should give him time. He's probably just talking to a teacher or something.

After a while I speak up. "You sure? It's been like ten minutes since kids started to leave."

"This is where the files led me, so yes. Don't stress about it, he's probably talking to a teacher or something." He says, rolling the window down and pulling out his phone. That's what I thought, but...

"Happy look!" I warn, pointing to a boy about to run into the hood. He snaps his head up.

"Kid?" He says, getting the boy's attention. He backs up and rambles a string of apologies, his head down and hood on, before Happy cuts him off.

"Kid, it's fine. Are you Peter Parker?" He asks. I scoff. No way this kid is him. He would be way more clean and put together, right? I mean, this boy looks like a troublemaker, especially with the all black and the hood up.

"I -uh, yes, why?" I bolt my head up.

"Get in."

I hold in a laugh before speaking. "Y'know, Hap, that sounded really sketchy."

The boy is laughing uncomfortably, still looking at his -very beaten- shoes. I step out of the car, knowing he would listen to me (ya that sounded cocky, but I'm Tony Stark so).

He looks at my bottom half before doing a double take. His eyes widen as his hood falls off, revealing a nasty black eye. My arrogant smile falters, but I cover it up with a

"Hey kid."

Peter's POV

Que?

"I -uh-" cough "H-hey a-a M-r-" Jesus Christ I can't words right.

"Yeah, so can you get in?" Mr. Stark asks.

'Well, actually, I can't. My job at Delmar's is kinda important and it's the only thing sustaining May and I'- is what I should've said. "Um, s-sorry, I have um, a job." Why the hell do I stutter so much when I'm nervous?

He looks at me with a confused face. "You have a job? Where?"

"D-Delmar's, sir." I reply timidly.

He seems to ponder for a moment before shrugging. "Oh well, get in, we'll give you a ride." He says, already walking in the car. To afraid to say no, I follow him. God, I don't belong in here. I'm gonna ruin this somehow. I squeeze my arms to my sides and push my legs together, trying to take up as little space as possible. I yawn quietly, making sure they didn't hear me. I barely got any sleep last night and I'm exhausted. If I need to get him to like me, I need to take May's advice. If I stay quiet, keep my head down, take up little space, not ask for anything, stay out of the way, and don't stay in his presence for long periods of time, maybe he won't think I'm annoying. Or a nuisance. Or pathetic. Or stupid. Or poor. Or-

"We're here."

I jump, turning to face -Happy was it?- and Mr. Stark. "Thanks." I say quietly as I step out of the car. As soon as I step foot on the sidewalk, a pain shoots through my leg. I completely forgot about that. Grunting quietly, I limp my way into the store. Upon seeing Amy I smile, remembering the day before. The day before. My smile fades as I remember. The hitting, cutting, insulting, bruising, scarring. I shake my head as if to get rid of the memories swimming in my brain.

"Hi Mr. Peter!"

Just as fast as my smile faded it bounced back. I make my way over to my favorite customer and pull up a chair,

"Hey Amy! How's it going? Anything new?" I ask, hoping to get in some small talk. She was about to respond when her mom interjected,

"Peter, can we talk for a moment?" She gesturing to the hallway leading to the bathrooms. God, this isn't going to end well. I comply with a tight lipped smile and follow her, waving to Amy. When we get there, she lets out a breath and her usually neutral face turns into one of worry.

"Peter," She breathes out, "What's happening?" Her voice cracks. "Everyday you come in here with bruises, cuts, injuries, yet you hide behind a smile." Tears stream down her cheeks. "We care about you Peter. We're here." She grabs my hands as a soft sob escapes her mouth.

I can't speak. I try opening my mouth to explain, but I can't.

I can't.

........

Tony's POV

I smile as I step back into the car, Peter following close behind. I grin at his shirt. It's a list of scientists, and I notice Albert Einstein at the top. I'm about to start conversation when I process what he said. He has a job? Isn't he a little young?

"Aren't you a little young to have a job?" I ask as Happy pulls out of the parking lot. Looking up from my phone, I see that his head is down, eyes opening and closing sleepily. I decide not to push him, I don't even think he heard me. He's sitting weirdly... compressed? Small? It looks like he's trying to shrink into nonexistence. Oh well. We stay in silence until we pull up to a corner store with a beaten down sign that reads, 'Delmar's: Best Sandwich in Queens'. I need to make sure to stop by here tomorrow. Might even pick up some hoagies myself. I look over again, only to see him falling slightly.

In attempt to wake him up, I say, "We're here." He jumps, mumbles a small 'thank you', and steps out of the car. When his leg hits the concrete, it buckles and his face contorts in pain. Before I can do anything, though, he limps into the store. I see a little girl call out to him, and his whole demeanor changes. All of a sudden, he stands upright and smiles, though it looks somewhat forced.

Happy starts to pull away, but I stop him. "Hap, wait one sec." He sends me a questioning look in the rear view mirror, but shrugs and puts the car in park. Peter pulls up a chair and is about to sit down next to the little girl, but a woman -who I assume is her mom- points to a hallway. Peter and the woman go into the hallway, and immediately she breaks down. She grabs his hands and looks at him with pleading eyes. Peter has silent tears dripping down his face, but he does nothing as she runs gentle fingers over his damaged eye.

"Okay, Happy. We should go now." I know I've already seen too much.

On the way back, I struggle to keep the image of Peter out of my burdened mind. There must be something going on in the background, I'm ashamed to not be able to do anything about it. I sigh, his tear-streaked face never leaving my thoughts.


	9. Skip

Peter's POV

"Mrs. Hudson please, you gotta trust me on this." I plead, ignoring the tears on my face.

"Peter! It's not like I can just ignore your bruises and your limp, the way you wince when you run into things that don't hurt. One day, you might not walk through that door, and I don't think we could handle that."

"No! I'm okay!" I lie. "I have it under control, I swear!"

She sighs and shakes her head. "Peter..." she trails off.

The door dings, making me jump. Taking this as an opportunity, I hurriedly say, "I should get that."

Before she could respond, I rushed to behind the counter. I avoid Amy's gaze. I can't imagine her coming here and not seeing me. What am I thinking? She wouldn't be sad. She would be happy because all I did was annoy her. But that's not true, he's made her happy. She took pity on you. No, she-

"Number 3 with no pickles, please."

Tony's POV

The situation plays over and over again in my head. Peter crying, the woman holding his hands and pleading. What had this kid gone through?

"-ude. You awake?" I hear a voice. I look over to see Sam standing next to the tv, accompanied by Clint, Nat, Pietro, Wanda, Steve, Bucky, Thor, and Loki. I jerk awake, seeing them in front of me.

"When did all of you get here?" I asked. "I thought you two were off world-" I gesture to Thor and Loki "-and you three-" I point to Sam, Pietro, and Wanda "-were on a mission, no?"

"Aye, no!" Sam ignored my comment. "Don't try to change the subject! We were here for like ten minutes and you didn't budge!"

God dammit. I should've done my thinking in my lab or something. What was I thinking coming to the couch? "I -uh..."

He raises an eyebrow. "Tony Stark is stuttering?"

I was about to come up with some excuse when Wanda interjected. "He's thinking of a young boy. He's crying and a woman is holding his hands. They look to be in some sort of shop."

I open my mouth to try and explain, but Pietro cuts me off. "Going soft? I didn't see that coming." Choruses of agreement fill the room.

"It's nothing. Just something I saw." I try to get them off my back when I stand up and head to the kitchen. I ignore the looks of suspicion and try and change the subject again. "So what are you guys doing here?"

"Well, the Frost Giants cowered in my mighty presence, so they retreated." Thor's booming voice announced, making Loki roll his eyes.

I look towards the other trio. "And aren't you supposed to find a Spider or something?"

"Well, Spider-boy kept leaving before we could arrive, so we failed." Pietro explained. I send them a shocked look.

"Hey! Technically, we only had two days, and he's been going out less and less." Sam defended. I roll my eyes at their antics and make my way to the lab. I assumed they had come back to the tower to discuss a new plan, so I just left it. Meetings aren't my forte anyways.

Maybe I could give Peter a nickname. Someone smart, definitely. I remember his shirt from earlier today. Einstein! Yes, that's what I'll call him. I'm unaware of time passing as I work on my repulsors, when the elevator dings, revealing Peter.

Peter's POV

I feel like I can't move. I haven't had a full nights sleep in years, my super healing is nonexistent due to my starving, the cuts were getting infected with the dirt the one bar of soap had failed to wash off, and my bullet wound and broken leg are still nasty. Nevertheless, I take a deep breath and step into the elevator.

"Peter," I jump. "It seems you have not improved your state from yesterday. I shall inform Boss of your condition."

Panicking, I quickly say, "NO! I mean, no it's okay Ms Friday."

"Peter, you will soon pass out from lack of nutrients if you do not eat soon."

"N-no Ms... F..r.-" My speech gets loopy. No, me get loopy. Wait, my grammar stop working. I try to call out as I stumble onto my butt, but I can't speak.

"Hey Einstein."

I can't breathe. He's here, he's come back. "No! Skip, please I don't want to!" I scream as I back away from the dark figure approaching me. He's holding a magazine. The magazine. "Stop! N-no!" I plead as the figure gets closer.

"..id, kid!" I'm engulfed in warm arms. Not Skip's. Shakily, I let myself lean into the embrace. I don't care who it is at this point, I just need to. I can't remember the last time May hugged me. I feel my breathing slow down, though my tears don't stop. I start to pull away from the hug, only now realizing I'm sitting against the elevator wall. The person pulls away, leaving their hands on my shoulders.

"M-Mr. Stark?"

Tony's POV

He gasps and backs into the corner, closing his eyes and and putting his hands over his body. He screamed, "No! Skip, please I don't want to!" I approach him slowly, confused.

"Kid, it's me."

I guess he didn't hear me. "Stop! N-no!" He's sobbing, holding his hands out as if to stop me.

I hurriedly wrap him in my arms, cooing softly to calm him. "Hey kid, it's okay, no one is going to hurt you, I'm here. No one's going to make you do anything you don't want to do." I stroke his back gently. I feel his tears soak through my shirt, his shaky body regaining his breath. After a few minutes of this, I feel him start to pull away, so I do as well, keeping my hands on his shoulders.

"M-Mr. Stark?" He looks up at me with red, teary eyes. God, he's hurting.

"Yeah kid, it's me." I smile sadly. His eyes widen and he attempts to get up. I back away with my hands up, trying to show him I mean no harm. His eyes never leave me as he lifts his body up, fear evident in them. His body is shaking, hands gripping and scratching at the cold elevator wall.

"Boss, Peter seems to be malnourished. I would recommend something with protein." Friday's voice rings in my ears. Malnourished? I rush to him and wrap an arm around his torso, letting him lean on me.

"Come on, kid, we're going to get some food in ya okay?" I reassure him, ordering Friday to take us to the common rooms. He nods slightly in response, his weight growing on me. When the doors open, I see Steve making something and talking with Natasha.

"Steve!" I call out, draping Peter's arm over my shoulders. He looks up worriedly at me and the kid. "Make this kid something, now!" I yell.

He immediately finishes what he was working on and puts it on a plate as I help him into the chair of the chair. "Sorry, that's the quickest thing I could do." He explains as he pushes the plate in front of Peter. Eggs. I wave his remark off and focus on Peter. His eyelids are opening and closing slowly, so I pat him gently on the back to wake him up. He jumps, but his eyes land on the eggs in front of him.

"Eat up, kid." I try to say nonchalantly, but the worry is evident in my voice. He nods and picks up a fork, slowly picking up a piece of egg. I furrow my eyebrows as he puts it in his mouth. He's shaking as new tears roll down his face. His head is down and he chews slowly. I shoot a confused look at Cap, but he just shrugs. Natasha is sitting at the end of the bar, analyzing him.

She signs, 'What happened?" Peter looks at her, then to me.

'I don't know. He just started crying and yelling 'stop'. Then Friday said he was malnourished, so I brought him up here to feed him.' I explain.

Peter looks at her. 'No, it was nothing, I promise. I just had something come up.' He signs to her.

I look at him in confusion. "You know sign language?"

Peter's POV

"You know sign language?" He asks.

I learned sign language when I found that I lost my voice often. My throat was open raw because I was... well, screaming from my nightmares. Ned and I were sick of writing notes, so we learned it together. It only took us a month or so, but it was really only intended for us, so most of it is messed up. 'Ish, but it's sort of messed up because I only use it with my friend.' I explain.

"Why? Are they deaf?" Mrs. Romanoff speaks up.

What do I say to that? I can't say he is because then I'd have to prove it in the future. 'Well, no, I just tend to lose my voice a lot. We learned it together, so it's messed up because we've never had to use it for anyone else.'

"Is that why you're using it right now?" Mr. Stark questions.

'No, I'm just kinda tired.' I add a smile.

"Okay, kid." He gets up and grabs a drink from the fridge. I know he's ignoring the obvious question, but I decide to be grateful.

Soon enough I'm finished with the eggs, and might I say, holy rosemary. It no where near satisfied my hunger, but it definitely helped. Just this alone could probably heal the stab wound! To be fair, it was a huge plate filled to the brim, no doubt meant for Steve with his metabolism and all. I look up at Steve, who looks to be in deep infatuation with his book. After trying to speak, I realize that I actually can't. I tap the bar to gain his attention. He looks up, and I bring four fingers to my chin, then drag them downwards away from me.

'Of course.' He smiles warmly. 'Do you mind me asking why you were malnourished?' He gives me a curious look.

I try to explain it without raising suspicion. 'Well, I don't usually have a bunch of money for food.' Mission failed. She said I was malnourished, not starving. Either one would have raised suspicion either way. He nods slightly and goes back to his book.

I see a wave out of the corner of my eye. Mrs. Romanoff is looking at me, eyes narrowed slightly. 'How bad are they?' She signs.

I send her a questioning look. 'How bad is what?'

'Nightmares.'

My eyes widen. How could she have known about that? 'I don't know what you're talking about.'

She sends me an annoyed look. 'Anxiety, PTSD, panic attacks, there's something there.'

'No, there's not.' I insist.

'Your voice isn't working from the screaming. Based on your frayed sleeves you have anxiety. Same with the rash on your hand, you scratch it when your nervous. Panic attack or PTSD-induced flashback going off of what Tony described. All those tie in with nightmares.' She explains nonchalantly.

I subconsciously drop my gaze to my hands and sleeves. I didn't even realize I was doing it. I look back up at her with shock. 'How...?'

'I have my ways.' She smirks. "Hey Tony, can I borrow this one for a sec? I can talk to him, help him maybe."

Mr. Stark looks up from his phone. "Yeah, sure."

'Follow me.' She walks away from the kitchen and into the left hallway. We walk into the first door on the left and into what looks like a training room. She gestures for me to step in, so I do. She takes a seat on a bench, me taking the one opposite from her. 'So?'

I sigh deeply. Am I prepared to tell her this? I mean, we've only just met. But I want someone to talk to. I'm being selfish. 'When I was seven, my dad and I got jumped in an alley. The man shot him. When I was eight, the apartment building caught on fire from a gas leak. My mom got stuck under a pieces of rubble, but I couldn't get her out.' I show her my burned hands. 'When I was ten, there was a robbery at my current house. My uncle was held at gunpoint. He tried to fight back, to get me to safety, but his neck was snapped.' My jaw clenched. It still hurt. A lot. I guess she deduced that by looking at my tears.

'Definitely PTSD. I'm glad you could talk to someone about this. Considering your emotions, I assume you don't talk about this often.'

She looks at me. 'Can you tell me who Skip is?'


	10. Iron Man's Gauntlets

I was not prepared for that. It hurts to talk about him. It reminds me of how defenseless I was. I can feel a panic attack coming, so I try to subdue it by taking a breath, closing my eyes. When I open them, Mrs. Romanoff hadn't moved, so I just shake my head. I could've stopped him. I could have defended myself. I could have, but I didn't. What kind of hero freezes when they're scared?

She nods understandingly and we walk back into the kitchen area. I still have my head down and Mrs. Romanoff has a hand on my shoulder, guiding me.

I look up and she leaves my side. 'I'm really sorry Mr. Stark. I know I wasted a lot of your time.'

He sends me a confused look. "Kid, you were starving. Plus, you got to meet Capsicle."

Shifting my gaze to Steve, I apologize for taking his food.

"Don't worry about it. Hey, we never got your name."

'Peter Parker.'

"Oh! You're the kid that got a one hundred on the test, right?"

I nod and look back down at the floor. He told them about me?

Mrs. Romanoff taps me on the shoulder and hands me a mug full of a dark purple liquid. When did she have time to make that? "Chug this. Your voice will be back in ten minutes or so." She noticed my puzzled look and explains, "It's specially designed for your... situation." I nod and drink the lukewarm drink in one gulp.

Mr. Stark pipes up. "Hey kid, how about we go to the labs, get some work done? It's only like 4:40." I'm thankful he's avoiding the obvious questions.

I put the now empty mug in the sink and smile excitedly. I'm finally going to work with Mr. Stark! 'Yes please!' He smiles and I follow him back into the elevator.

"Floor 89, Fri."

"Of course, Boss." She obeyed. I was scared she was going to expose me in front of him, point out my injuries, but she didn't.

The doors open and I'm greeted with a familiar sight. The equation on the board has been corrected. I unknowingly bounce on the balls of my feet, ecstatic to be in the Tony Stark's lab.

I see him smile at me out of my peripheral. "M'kay kid, lets get started." He leads me over to a large table. There are blue prints and tools scattered over the clear material. A small space is cleared at the corner with a gauntlet and a blue circle. "I'm trying to make the blast range further, and the impact stronger." He says, gesturing to the mess on the table.

I look at it and analyze it. 'May I look at it closer?' I sign to him.

"Of course, kid. They're not dangerous apart, so as long as you don't put pressure here-" he hovers a finger over a spot on the back. "-you should be fine."

I nod as I make my way closer. Taking apart the pieces, I see that the transporting tube is tiny in compromise to the size of the gauntlet. I face him. 'Well, if you increased the size of the gauntlet by a little, you could make the main tube larger. This way, you would have more range because there would be a larger blast, and since it's not really an object, it wouldn't stop until it hit something, or extreme temperatures.'

He looked at me in shock. "How did you know that?"

Because I fangirled over all of your books and videos, studied them and found out how all of your technology worked by trial and error. 'I read some of your books.'

He sent me a smile. "Uh huh. So! What about power?"

I looked at it again. 'Well, you could send a really high voltage shot, but that would damage the inside, considering the matter is stronger than the material of your suit. So, if you replaced the gauntlet material with tungsten, it would be able to withstand it due to its yield and impact strength. But, tungsten is heavy, so it would be unnefficient.' I take a minute to think. Oh! I got it. 'If you alloyed aluminum and titanium, the yield strength would be able to withstand the temperatures, and the impacts strength would protect you from outside forces.' I explain.

He doesn't say anything for a while, kind of spaced out.

I wave to get his attention. 'You there Mr. Stark?'

He snaps his head up. "Oh. Yeah kid." He exhales and puts his hands on his head. Oh no. I did something to stress him out.

'I'm sorry.' I sign, not wanting to be what May had... reminded me of.

"Sorry? You've just solved a problem that Banner and I have been stuck on for weeks! It's so simple, how could we have overlooked that?"

I look at the ground. He's mad that I solved it before him.

"C'mere." I look up. He's sitting down, pointing to a seat next to him. The corner of the table is between us, along with the gauntlet and repulsor. I cautiously join him.

We were talking about... I don't really remember, but the liquid seemed to have worked since my throat was only a little bit sore. The flow in conversation never wavered, filled with science and engineering facts, trips, and stories. Before I know it, it's dark.

"Holy frick!" I exclaim when I look at the clock. "7:40? How?"

He laughs. "Time flies kiddo." I'm about to pick up my backpack when he starts talking again. "Hey, you need a ride home? It's a little dark to be walking alone this late."

I shake my head. "No thank you, Mr. Stark. I don't live far." I can't be more of a bother than I already am.

"Not a question, kid." He tosses my backpack to me and walks into the elevator. I stand there in disbelief. No way he actually meant that, he has better things to do. "You coming kid?" He snaps me out of my trance.

"Yes sir." I say before I step in with him.

He scoffs. "Sir? Kid, I'm not that old."

"Debatable." I gasps when I realize what I just said. "I am so sorry Mr. Stark, it just came out I'm usually not disrespectful I'm so sorry." I tense and prepare my body for the hit. Instead, I hear laughing. I slowly open my eyes to see Mr. Stark giggling into his hand, apparently not hearing anything I said.

He comes down from his fit of laughter as the doors open. "You're funny kid." He puts a leading hand on my back and I flinch, remembering the time when May- never mind. His smile falls slightly when he feels the sharp movement under his palm. "You okay?"

"I -um, yeah, just a little jumpy." That was an understatement.

He nods and take me further into a large room filled with cars. I ogle at the various models and hues.

Mr. Stark chuckles. "Into cars?"

I nod, still staring in admiration. "Any type of engineering, really. My friend really wants to get the new LEGO Deathstar to build together." Thank god my stuttering had been reduced to nearly normal.

"Uh huh." He responds as he brings me to one of his many cars.

I gasp, recognizing it from the books at the library, "Dude no way! An Aston Martin Vulcan! Is that the series 23?"

"Yup." He opens the passenger door and pushes me in, walking around to the other side and joining me in the front row. The doors close automatically and I realize just how much I could mess this up. I refer back to May's advice. Take up as little space as possible, you don't deserve it anyways. Don't speak, you'll just annoy the people around you. I nod to myself as I check off the list.

"You good kid? You're just kinda nodding to yourself over there."

I jolt, being unexpectedly snapped out of my state of focus. "I -uh, ya!" Shoot, I could've just nodded instead of speaking."

"Mhm." He pauses as he turns a corner. "Here we are." I look up and sure enough, there it was. I shudder thinking about what lies behind the door. After taking a deep breath, I grab my bag and grope around the door to try and find the handle. I'm about to ask Mr, Stark when I hear giggling behind me. I turn to face him, finding him with his lips pursed, clearly trying not to laugh.

"Mr. Stark! I'm going to report a kidnapping if you don't open this door." I regret my choice of word immediately when I process what I had said. My comment made him laugh -well bark, really-, sending spit on the steering wheel, which only made him laugh harder. I giggle a little at the thought of Iron Man laughing before his calms down.

"Okay, okay." He barely moves his finger on the steering wheel and the door opens, revealing the ratty apartment May refused to take care of. I grab my bag and step onto the sidewalk gingerly, leg slightly buckling under the pressure. I take each step carefully and quickly, as if one mistake might cause him to lash out. I mentally prepare myself as I'm unlocking the apartment door. It creaks open a couple of inches, but I stop it before it swings to far and turn back to the car.

"Thank you!" I yell. He nods and waves. I wave back and retreat into the place. As soon as I finish locking the door, I'm shoved against it.

"There you are you little shit."


	11. Soft

Tony's POV

As I'm about to leave, I see the door of the apartment jolt, as if something heavy has been thrown against it. After a moments hesitation, I shrug it off and drive away. Probably nothing. Changing the topic, that kid really knows his stuff. Banner and I have been trying to figure out that problem for weeks, and we never looked at the obvious choice. It does worry me, though. Why does he lose his voice so often? What happened in the elevator? The thoughts clouding my head seem to speed up time as I'm at the tower in what seems like five minutes. My mind never clears as I'm carried up to the common rooms once again. My body feels like it's on autopilot, guiding me to the lab. I consider asking Natasha what happened, but I think better of it when I feel her glare burn holes in my back.

I find myself in the lab once again, mindlessly pouring a glass of whiskey, when a knock at the door forces me out of my thoughts.

"Tony? You in there pal?" Bruce asks.

Slightly disoriented from the scare, I mumble, "Mhm, come in."

He opens the door and steps in, leaning against a random shelf. "What's going on with you? You've been mumbling to yourself for," he gestures vaguely, "since you've got here. The last time you did that, Ultron had almost destroyed half the earth. Please tell me this isn't a sequel."

I shake my head, still focusing on putting the bottle away without dropping it. "I don't know... this kid... Peter." I sigh, trying to phrase this in a way that would make sense. "He figured out the gauntlet problem in like five minutes." I ignore his questioning look and cut off his upcoming remark with a hand. "But there's something else about him, he just seems so..." I trail off. "Scared? I don't know, he's like an abandoned puppy, like, all the time."

"We might be able to get him a full time job here." He seems to ignore my last statement. "His skill could greatly benefit the team."

'He's a little young' I think to myself, 'I mean, working two jobs at that age?' Yikes. "That's the thing, he's like fifteen."

"Really?" His face turns to disbelief. "Huh. The 'abandoned puppy' thing makes a lot more sense now." So he did hear that. "Never thought I'd live to see a kid turn Tony Stark soft."

I scoff. "I'm not turning soft."

"Yeah yeah, whatever. Dinner's ready, if you're not too busy worrying about that 'abandoned puppy.'" He frames his statement with air quotes.

I roll my eyes and follow him out the door, still replaying the events of the day in my head. I feel someone push me into a chair, but that's not important right now. What happened with Peter? He walked in the room looking fine, or rather, what he usually looks like, and then as soon as I spoke, he just started backing into the corner. What did I say again? Einstein? Yeah, I think so, but I doubt that would've triggered something that big. Something probably happened before he got here, and he was just a little on edge. Yeah, that's it.

"Tony!" I jolt awake as I feel a pair of hands on my shoulders and a voice in my ear.

"Jesus Christ Barton." I take a deep breath, rubbing my face, making my glasses fall askew. "You're too easy." He teases as me as he takes his seat across the table. "Also you've been spacing out a lot today, what's happening? Haven't seen you like this in years." A plate is set in front of me filled with steak and mashed potatoes.

I just hummed in response, already tuning him out.

"Y'know," Natasha speaks, "maybe if you opened up about certain things you wouldn't have to drink so often." She brings a beer bottle to her lips.

I scoff, "I'm not drinking a lot, I don't know why y'all-" I wave a finger at the surrounding people, "are acting so weird."

"We're the ones acting weird?!" Bruce slams a fist on the table, making me jolt for what seems like the millionth time today. Green creeps up his neck, the veins there enlarge.

"Whoa big guy, don't get your panties in a twist." I hold my hands out defensively. "And yes, you guys."

"He must be joking" Bruce says in a disbelieving tone, turning towards the accused.

I sigh and dig in to the food. It's not like we're getting anywhere, anyways.


End file.
